Bury Rugby Club are teaming up with Frames Conservatories Direct to offer free admission to their first ever National League match.

Within the sports pages of next week’s Free Press there will be a voucher offering entry to Bury’s opening National League Three London and South East encounter with Old Elthamians on Saturday, September 7 (3pm).

With matchday prices going up to £5 this season, that represents a huge saving for a memorable sporting occasion in the town.

“We are very excited,” said Bury chairman Mike Robinson.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever been at this level, so we are breaking new ground for the club and the town.

“Hopefully we will get a lot of people behind us to come and see what National League rugby is all about.”

On top of free entry, the first 50 fans to present their voucher at the bar will receive a commemorative rugby ball.

Jeremy Proctor, spokesman for main club sponsor Frames Conservatories Direct, said: “The reason we are doing it is because we are trying to attract more people to the rugby club and get more people in the ground.

“We want to help the club be more successful than they already are.

“Now they have moved up a league and are playing National League rugby, we want to support them and help get people down there with their families because it’s a very good sport to watch.”

Free Press sports editor Derek Bish added: “We’re very excited to be covering National League rugby this season and hope hundreds of sports fans will take advantage of this offer to enjoy this historic occasion.”

n Bury’s opened their pre-season campaign with a match against Gravesend — who were relegated from the league Bury are going in to — at The Haberden on Saturday.

Split into three 30-minute periods, Bury came out on top in two of them, but lost overall 20-10, despite a try from Chris Snelling and a conversion and penalty from Will Martin.

Head coach Gavin Hogg said: “It was a massive learning curve and, talking to a few of the players, it was probably the most physical and competitive game of rugby we’ve had over the last 18 months.

“You sometimes learn a lot more from losing games rather than winning them and we have a few things to fine tune over the next couple of weeks.”

The Suffolk side travel north to Derbyshire, where they will face Ilkeston tomorrow in their final test before the real action kicks off seven days later.